Power Grab
Daily Old Testament Reading: Numbers 16-19
Daily Focus Passage: Numbers 17
In Numbers 17, the Bible tells of a moment when Korah and his supporters questioned the leadership of Moses. The schism became so great that Korah led a rebellion to overthrow Moses and his leadership. This moment reflects an unfortunate reality within businesses, organizations, and even churches worldwide. Moments exist when people attempt to grab power and leadership from others, including those the Lord has placed into leadership positions. This chapter in Numbers teaches us several critical truths about why such moments occur and how to respond.
THE REJECTION OF GOD'S LEADER
Korah rejected the leadership of Moses. He felt that he could lead in a better, more efficient manner. The act of rejection gained fuel from selfishness and pride combined with the refusal to submit to leadership. When this concoction mixes, the individual begins to position the self to overcome the one in leadership and attempts to grab power at every possible turn. In this dynamic, the rejection of Moses appeared to be a rejection of Moses, but the rejection existed against the Lord, who had positioned Moses in leadership.
THE BUILDING OF A SINFUL COALITION
Korah attempted to gain support through the development of a sinful coalition. He sought to gain support from others to accomplish his task. Sinful coalitions occur when people use their opinion or calculated truth to gain support. Sinful coalitions form and attempt to rebel against the Lord because they find their foundation in sinful activities and intentions instead of the Lord. Thus, Korah tried to pressure his way into leadership by speaking against Moses to gain support.
THE CONTINUED LEADERSHIP IN INTEGRITY
Moses overcame the threat of responding in the flesh. Instead of allowing his pride and selfish nature to take over, he leaned into the Lord and trusted the Lord for guidance, strength, and deliverance. Moses believed that the Lord had called him to lead and that he would sustain him. At the same time, Moses did not neglect to deal with the issue. He did not kick it down the road or ignore it. Instead, he trusted the Lord to provide the needed wisdom to confront and deal with the issue before him.
THE TRUTH FOR TODAY
When we consider this passage for today, we must commit to seeking the Lord and following those he places in leadership. We must seek to trust that the Lord establishes people to lead and that we will be faithful in following. This does not mean we follow blindly, but it does mean that we seek to follow the Lord by praying for those in leadership and supporting them when they are not outside of truth. May we seek to have hearts of humility, hearts of forgiveness, hearts of love, and hearts of serving the Lord in faithfulness.
